Room Escape Artist

Dragon Realm is one of the best games in Denver. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms in Denver.

Magic in all the right places

Location:  Brighton, CO

Date Played: August 11, 2024

Team Size: 2-8; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $30-45 per player, depending on day and size of group

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  None that we can think of

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Compared to its older sibling Contamination, Dragon Realm took Mile High Escape Ops’ strengths to the next level, offering a polished experience in most every regard. We delighted in the puzzles and even moreso in their results.

This world offered a series of vignettes full of transactional delights. Its play-by-play responsiveness quickly built the expectation that every solve would unlock something special, which the game largely delivered with whimsy and even a bit of action. Throughout this process, the props were hefty and satisfying to hold and place. I had a particular affinity for the potion bottles.

The puzzles were plentiful and reasonable, flowing from one to another without too much overt instruction. They were bound together by the common theme of magic and dragons, but there wasn’t often a clear motivation for them from a story perspective. As such, a few interactions felt simultaneously impressive and random. The majesty of the experience justified their existence, but this is an area where the company can continue to evolve.

Finally, let’s talk about Jeffrey, the talkative wizard head pilloried in the corner of the room. With his ethereal aura, monotone voice, and bemused interjections, he seemed Eeyore-ishly resigned to his fate of guiding us on our quest. His presence infused this fantasy world with an offbeat, memorable personality.

From its tiny details through its most endearing set pieces and interactions, Dragon Realm was a collection of wonders that belongs on your itinerary in the Denver area.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Fantasy fans
• Any experience level

Why play?

• For magical moments and unusually animated interactions

Story

A dragon has been terrorizing the kingdom, trapping people under its curse. The friendly wizard Jeffrey had tried to stop it but then was trapped himself as a talking head in his own chambers. Now it had fallen to us to finish what Jeffrey had started – browse his chambers, heed his guidance, and stop the dragon in its tracks!

Setting

We found ourselves in a wizard’s abode surrounded by magical oddities, including but not limited to potions, spell books, a giant D-12, a fearsome dragon, and a chatty disembodied head. Though some elements felt familiar, the entire conglomeration was unique.

Both the set and its props were of high quality. It was a joy to interact with such lovely, substantial objects in such a beautiful place.

Gameplay

Mile High Escape Ops’ Dragon Realm was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Gameplay consisted of observing, making connections, a bit of decoding, and a bit more of logic.

Analysis

➕ There was a lot to do in this room, producing a strong sense of momentum via satisfying accomplishments.

➕ The set was exceptionally lush and sturdy, with high-quality props that were lovely to behold and satisfying to manipulate.

➕ Jeffrey, the disembodied wizard head, was a delightful gamemaster, adding a quirky humor to our quest.

➕ The majority of puzzles had immediate mystical payoffs, building an expectation of magical rewards that went mostly fulfilled.

➖ The puzzles united thematically, but the game lacked a clear narrative flow to motivate our individual actions.

➖ One of the puzzles seemed pre-packaged; we had seen the same materials and usage recently in Austin. This design choice will be undetectable to newer players who haven’t played many games, but we found it to be a distraction from an otherwise original experience. That said, the hint system comically guided us away from an ambiguity in the puzzle that made it especially annoying in our previous encounter.

➕ One area of the game overflowed with whimsy and bedazzlement. Every element worked toward an otherworldly ambiance, and one particular moment was as beautiful as any I’ve seen in an escape room.

➕ A climactic final sequence fulfilled a promise of the game that had been hanging over our heads the entire time.

Tips For Visiting

• There was plenty of parking.

Book your hour with Mile High Escape Ops’ Dragon Realm, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Mile High Escape Ops provided a complimentary game.